Photographic press



y 4, 1950 F. A. NIEDERMEYER 2,514,334

. PHOTQGRAPHIC PRESS\ Filed Oct. 21, 1946 Z 0 INENTOR.

Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rno'roonsrnro PRESS. 7 Frederick A. Niedermeyer, Milwaukee, Wis. Application .OctoberZl, 1946, Serial-No. 704,706

3 Claims., 1

This invention relates to improvements in presses for use in photography or the like.

It hasheretofore been common practice for photographers and others whohave, the problem of pressing sheets ofmaterial, such as photographic prints, into flat .and smooth condition to employ make-shift weights such as sheets of plate glass, bricks, and-containers full of sand. These devices are cumbersome to handle and are generally unsatisfactory. Furthermore, in placing the prints under thesemakeshift presses, the entire weight has to be lifted whenever a new print is inserted. Sometimes as many as fifty prints are put under a single weight.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved press for .use inphotography or the like which'is easy and convenient to handle, and which provides-for a choice, .in the amount of weight to be utilized, to suit the particular requirements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a plurality of superimposed plate members, together with means whereby-the plates may be conveniently manipulated either separately or jointly.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described which includes a bottom plate having a handle project ing upwardly from the top surface thereof, and a top plate having a slot through which said handle is adapted to extend when the two plates are superimposed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device as above described wherein the upper plate has a handle extending parallel to and spanning the length of its slot within which the handle of the plate below may be nested when the plates are in superimposed condition.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved press for the purpose described which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, neat in appearance, easy to use, compact in size, and otherwise well adapted for the purpose described.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved press for use in photography or the like, and all its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention, in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the showing the two platesin assembled conditionr Fig. 2 is aperspective view showing the. plates.

:1, on the line 3.4. of Fi two plates may be. utilized if desired. Each platev Referring more particularly to the drawing,

thepress preferably comprisesv a pair of plates 5 and 6. .It is, of course, obvio.u s that more than is made of heavy metal, and it is preferredlto. employ, during manufacture, .a-.s,uitable plating process,.such as cadmium plating, to render the press rust resistant and attractive. in. appearance.

The plates are preferably of the same .size,

but this size may vary according to requirements. For photographic ,purposes, a size of" 9 x 12 inches or. 12 x 15 inches, is convenient. The, thickness may be selected in accordance withlthe weight requirements. In the preferred form of they invention the-plates are made of inch steel and each plate weighs approximately eight pounds. .If desired, oneplate. may be of greater weight than the other to provide for .a greater selection for certain requirements. For photographic purposes, however, it is convenient to have the plates approximately equal in weight with each individual plate being light enough so that it is easy to handle, and with the combined plates being heavy enough so that they will perform the pressing function efficiently.

The bottommost plate 5 is provided with a handle I, preferably of inverted U-shape, and the handle projects upwardly from a central position on the upper surface of the plate.

The top plate 6 is formed with an elongated slot 8 which is so positioned as to receive the handle I therethroughwhen the top plate 6 is superimposed on the bottom plate 5.

Projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the top plate 6, and spanning the length of the slot 8, is a handle 9. The latter is also of inverted U-shape and is of greater length than the handle I of the plate 5. With this arrangement, the handle I of the bottom plate 5 will nest within the handle 9 of the top plate 6 when the plates are in superimposed position, as in Figs. l and 3.

The handle 1 of the bottom plate projects sufficiently high so that the hand of the user may be inserted within the handle 1 as well as within the handle 9 when the handles are nested as in Figs. 1 and 3 and if it is desired to lift both plates simultaneously.

In use of the improved press, it is intended that the photographer or other operator first make use of the bottom plate only while the prints are being initially put in position. The bottom plate, weighing only eight pounds, can be lifted many times, until all of the prints have been put in place, without tiring the user. When this has been accomplished, then the top plate may be inserted over the bottom plate as in Figs. 1 and 3. This doubles the amount of weight which will be left on the prints.

When it is desired to remove the prints after they have been pressed for a predetermined period, then the two plates may be lifted simultaneously by grasping both handles, or, if preferred, the plates may be removed separately.

For certain types of uses where a large amount of weight is not required but where a greater total pressing area is of importance, the plates may be used individually, giving the operator the benefit of two relatively light weight presses. ,For requirements where the plates may be used separately, they may be formed of different thickness to provide for choice of weight. It is also obvious that the ress may comprise more than two superimposed plates, but for photographic purposes the two plates are generally sufficient. Various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated, as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A press comprising a first weight member having an upwardly projecting inverted U-shaped handle, a second weight member removably superimposed on said flrst weight member and having an elongated slot through which the handle .of the first weight member projects, and an inverted U-shaped handle projecting upwardly from said second weight member and spanning the length of said slot, said handle of the second weight member being sufiiciently high to accommodate the projecting handle of the first weight member in nested relationship.

2. A press comprising a first flat metal plate having an upwardly projecting inverted U-shaped handle, a second fiat metal plate removably superimposed on said first metal plate and having an elongated slot through which the handle of the first metal plate projects, and an inverted U-shaped handle projecting upwardly from said second metal plate and spanning the length of the slot, said handle of the second plate being suificiently high to accommodate the projecting portion of the handle of the first plate in nested relationship.

3. A pressing weight comprising a first weight member having a smooth flat pressing area and having an upwardly projecting, inverted U- shaped, centrally located handle, a second weight member removably superimposed on said first weight member and having an opening of a size to removably accommodate the handle of the first weight member, and an inverted U-shaped centrally located handle projecting upwardly from said second weight member and spanning the length of said opening, said handle of the second weight member being sufiiciently high to accommodate the projecting handle of the first weight member in nested relationship.

FREDERICK A. NIEDERMEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,338,066 Blocker Apr. 27, 1920 1,852,195 Shaw Apr. 5, 1932 1,950,657 Burton Mar. 13, 1934 2,399,857 Connors May '7, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 430,685 France Oct. 21, 1911 

